Taylor Women, VanderWall Post Program Records in Blazing Tiger Classic  

OMAHA, Neb. – The Taylor women's cross country team competed in a loaded field at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic on Saturday morning, finishing in third behind No. 3 College of Idaho and No. 4 Saint Mary (Kan.).

TU (77-4) posted a program-best team time of 1:50.2 in a stacked field, which included seven ranked squads and three receiving votes in the NAIA Top-25 poll.

Noel VanderWall topped the Trojans with a program-record time of 21:07.6 in the 6k race. The time was almost a minute better than the previous record set by Mollie Gamble in this season's first race. Gamble set her new personal best with a time of 21:47.2, which saw her finish ninth. Ahna Neideck was the next Trojan to cross the finish line in 14th place at 22:12.6, which was also a new personal best by almost a minute. 

The personal best times continued with Lynae Ackley carding a time of 22:29.8 as she finished in 23rd. The fifth and final scoring member for the Trojans was Kaitlin Burden, with a 26th-place finish. 

Eight more Trojan runners posted personal best times in the 6k race for a total of 12 personal bests out of 15 runners for TU. 

The Trojans will compete next in the Crossroads League Championships back in Upland, Indiana, looking to secure the CL Title for an 11th straight year on Friday, November 3, at 10:30 am.